July/Aug 1998, Volume 3 #4

Road activists involved with litigation know that technicallegal doctrines can determine whether plaintiffs are able to sue a federalagency. For example, courts require a plaintiff to have "standing"before the court will hear their case. In the wake of an environmental setback from a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court decision in OhioForestry Association v. Sierra Club, 1998 WL 244192 (May 18, 1998), activistsalso will have to consider the doctrine of "ripeness" before suing overcertain Forest Service actions.